Obama fails his first test on civil liberties and accountability — resoundingly and disgracefully  —  Two weeks ago, I interviewed the ACLU's Ben Wizner, counsel to 5 individuals suing the subsidiary of Boeing (Jeppesen) which had arranged the Bush administration's rendition program …

Savior holds first fear-mongering press conference  —  The wealth-redistributor-in-chief, his High Holiness, is set to begin his first official prime-time press conference at 8pm Eastern.  —  Will he go all Howard Dean?  —  Will he get snippy?  —  Drinking game buzzwords: “Bipartisan …

Geithner Said to Have Prevailed on the Bailout  —  WASHINGTON— The Obama administration's new plan to bail out the nation's banks was fashioned after a spirited internal debate that pitted the Treasury secretary, Timothy F. Geithner, against some of the president's top political hands.

Senate Clears Path for Vote on $838 Billion Stimulus  —  WASHINGTON — Senate Democrats on Monday advanced the $838 billion economic stimulus bill, clearing a major procedural hurdle by a razor thin margin with the help of just three Republicans.  A vote on final passage of the bill is expected on Tuesday.

Manley sacks Shuler  —  Harry Reid spokesman Jim Manley on Heath Shuler's comment that Reid and Nancy Pelosi “failed” on bipartisanship.  —  It's a good one: … In four years as an NFL QB — three with the Redskins, one with the Saints — Shuler threw 32 INTs while tallying only 15 TDs.

Transcript: Obama takes questions on economy  —  (CNN) — President Obama held the first evening press conference of his presidency Monday, with the financial crisis as the main topic.  Before taking questions, he gave a brief speech.  Here is a transcript of the speech and news conference:

Dean Gets HHS Endorsement From Patrick Leahy  —  Chalk up another endorsement for Howard Dean taking over the reins of the Department of Health and Human Services.  —  On Monday, Sen. Patrick Leahy said that the former DNC header and fellow Vermont Democrat would be the ideal candidate …

Ruin Your Health With the Obama Stimulus Plan: Betsy McCaughey  —  Feb. 9 (Bloomberg) — Republican Senators are questioning whether President Barack Obama's stimulus bill contains the right mix of tax breaks and cash infusions to jump-start the economy.  —  Tragically, no one from either party …

Comparing this recession to the last five  —  The dramatic chart Nancy Pelosi's office put out comparing job losses so far in the current recession with those in 2001 and 1990-1991 has gotten a lot of play in the Internets.  As well it should-it paints a dramatic picture (job losses in the current recession have been much more severe).

President Obama in Elkhart, Ind.  —  Remarks of President Obama at the town-hall style meeting in Elkhart, Ind., as provided by the White House  —  President Barack Obama traveled today to Elkhart, Indiana for a town hall on the American Recovery and Reinvestment Plan.

Meg Whitman Entering the Race for Governor  —  It's official: Meg Whitman, the former chief executive officer of eBay, is planning to run for the governorship of California.  —  She announced on Monday that she had formed an exploratory committee, the first step in seeking the Republican nomination for governor for the 2010 race.

Obama: Scaring us straight  —  Barack Obama has a tough act to pull off.  He must simultaneously petrify people and also restore their confidence.  He must scare us to death and calm our fears.  —  He must convince the nation that the times are so dire we must carry out his bold plans immediately …

Obama On Lessons Learned: I Should Have Started With No Tax Cuts And Let GOP Take Credit For Them  —  At tonight's White House press conference, NPR's Mara Liasson asked President Obama what lessons he has learned through the process of negotiating with Republicans over the economic recovery package.

EXCLUSIVE: FBI Raided Lobbying Firm Connected to Murtha  —  Feds Narrowing In On Companies With Ties To Congressman  —  The FBI raided the offices of a defense lobbying firm with close ties to Democratic Rep. John Murtha (Penn.), sources tell ABC News.  —  The FBI searched the Virginia headquarters …

Judges back a one-third reduction in state prison population  —  Jurists issue tentative ruling in lawsuit brought by inmates, who say overcrowding in state prisons violates their right to adequate healthcare.  —  Reporting from Sacramento — A panel of three federal judges …

House and Senate ‘Spendulus’ Bills: Hunt for the Bacon!  —  At more than 1,500 pages, the House and Senate versions of the economic stimulus bill aren't exactly a light read.  —  That's why we're counting on our FOX Forum audience to help us all get through it.

Question: ‘Morning Joe’ or Sen. Joe?  —  Television host Joe Scarborough has a new radio show and is feeling good about the influence he's having on politics.  —  But the former congressman from Pensacola said he may run for office again, maybe even the U.S. Senate in 2010.

Obama: This isn't run-of-the-mill recession  —  (CNN) — President Obama appeared before a national audience Monday night to make the case for his economic stimulus plan, saying this is not your “run-of-the-mill recession.”  —  “My bottom line is to make sure that we are saving or creating 4 million jobs …